North America's Oldest Asian Church

Founded a century and a half ago, the Presbyterian Church in Chinatown is the oldest Asian American Christian congregation in North America. Designated a "foreign mission" by the Presbyterian denomination, the church opened its doors on November 6, 1853 with four members under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. William Speer. It was not until 1925 that jurisdiction of the church was transferred from the Board of Foreign Missions to the Board of National Missions. After changing its name from the Presbyterian Chinese Mission Church, the congregation continued to be known as the Chinese Presbyterian Church until 1958, when the current name emphasizing the church's recognition of its social context and its commitment to the San Francisco Chinatown community was adopted by its members.

Friends_of_Jesus

In 1955 Friends of Jesus was started as a fellowship group of the Cantonese ministry. Here, members of the group are seen gathered at a weekly meeting circa 1960, under the leadership of the Rev. Teng-Kiat Chiu (second row, second from the right).